[Garfie]

Originally Posted by vesavius

I would say that Dean and Ali both have a lot of daddy issues that need working out for sure.

I think we have to remember that Ali is on the Autistic Spectrum, and therefore her thinking and perceptions will be affected by that. It’s not a case of having issues, necessarily, but a case of having a condition.

Having said that, I would agree that she would benefit from working on her very negative and rigid thinking, which is something those with ASD - through no fault of their own - need to be guided and supported to do, as these are not pleasant or helpful thought processes to anyone on the Spectrum. In fact, this mindset will be exacerbated by stressful situations and create further stress in itself, which might be why Ali seems to feel so negative and unhappy.

Strangely enough, on L&L, Dean seemed to have very similar thought processes to Ali, in terms of his very rigid thinking and lack of self-awareness, as well as in his inability to recognise how to appropriately express himself in social situations. These are all Autistic traits, and the thought that went through my mind as I observed him, was that, if he was one of my students, I would certainly be trying to provide him with the benefits of assessments for this.